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Zulu-lulu Art House at Hilton Arts Festival

Visitors to the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands may well have encountered the delightful Zulu-Lulu Art House Gallery at Piggly Wiggly. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure, then you can discover it for yourself at the Hilton Arts Festival at Hilton College. The gallery is hosting a pop up in the Art Block.

Trayci Tompkins.

“The opportunity to curate a mini gallery space that combines the best of ceramics and ‘fresh off the easel’ fine art has been a wonderful project for me,” says Tompkins, who typically visits each artist regularly in their studios to select their latest works. “I love the location of the Art Block complex within the Hilton Festival. It’s a gem of a space where future artists of the Hilton College learn and are inspired by their teachers.”

Ms Kahlo by Floris van Zyl.

Seeing a new direction to ‘Art living in our homes’, Tompkins has selected four top selling fine artists from the Zulu-lulu Gallery: Floris van Zyl, Lieze Meyer, Diane Erasmus and Coral Spencer, who have each produced fresh new statement paintings specifically for this exhibition. Collectively their paintings form some of the most exciting works produced in KZN.

Recently awarded the Bartel Arts Trust Award for her own ceramic work, Tompkins has a keen and experienced eye for the best ceramic makers in the country – many of whom are represented in Zulu-lulu Art House Gallery.

“Selecting individual ceramic pieces directly from the maker is something I am passionate about. It allows me to engage with the artist and their processes and pass on their stories to buyers and collectors,” she says.

Stunning ceramics are on show at the Zulu-Lulu pop up gallery at the Hilton Arts Festival.

The Zulu-lulu Art House mini gallery will be filled with ceramics from functional to sculptural to purchase, alongside the new ceramic works from Tompkins, who will be in attendance during the Festival show.

Also on exhibition in the Art Block are artists Astrid Dahl, Louise van Niekerk (ceramics) and Cindy Powell (fine art) alongside a creative wealth of talent the Midlands Meander has become so famous for.

To find your way to the Art Block building, follow the Midlands Meander Experience signage along the path from the Memorial Hall venue.

The 23nd annual Hilton Arts Festival will be hosted in the picturesque Hilton College from September 17 to 20. For more information visit http://www.hiltonfestival.co.za/ or like the Facebook page, Hilton Arts Festival. You can also follow the festival on Twitter @HiltonFest or download the free APP Hilton Arts Festival for both Android and IOS.